A unique visit!
On Thursday 1 September, the King’s Commissioner for Noord-Holland, Mr Remkes, visited Beemster Garlic with Mr Jaap Bond, a member of the Provincial Executive of Noord-Holland. Other attendants were Mayor Joyce van Beek and two aldermen from the Municipality of Beemster and representatives of the Province of Noord-Holland. A working visit to Beemster Polder earlier this year aroused Mr Remkes’ interest in our special farm, and this visit was planned in light of that interest. After all, Beemster Garlic is an authentic Noord-Holland product, the pure taste of Beemster.
As our farm has a unique location, we utilise the clay soil of Noord-Holland to produce fresh garlic bulbs for the international market. The Netherlands is one of the leading exporting nations of agricultural and horticultural crops in Europe. The polder, an area of drained land, contributes to the growth of the supply of authentic, pure products, both on the domestic and on the international level, thanks to the dedication and collaboration of the Beemster farmers: together, we are committed to conserving our cultural heritage for future generations. Consequently, the export product garlic is not only an authentic product, it is also an important item for Dutch trade, primarily for the Noord-Holland region of Beemster Polder. This polder, which became a World Heritage Site in 1999 because it is unique and irreplaceable, is of great importance for the Netherlands, both in economic and in cultural terms.
During the visit, we showed our guests round the farm and explained the process, from the planting of the bulbs to the delivery to our customers. After the tour, there was time to talk to the visitors, who expressed their fascination for our methods. They were particularly interested in our processing procedure, most of which is done by hand. We use manual labour to prevent damaging the bulbs, so we can supply our customers with the most perfectly white bulbs with bright green stalks possible.
We were delighted to realise that our daily business – something that is completely normal for us – proves to be unique and contributes to our cultural heritage and we rounded off this successful day feeling satisfied and proud.
Fresh Garlic from Holland.
